Qassas
/ˈkæsæs/noun
A Muslim religious storyteller or preacher, especially one who recounts narratives about prophets and sacred history.
Did you know?Early Islamic authorities sometimes distrusted the quṣṣāṣ because dramatic storytelling could blur the line between transmitted religious tradition and entertaining legend.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*qṣṣ
“To cut, determine, or recount in ordered sequence; the precise relationship between the senses is debated.”
7th Century
Arabic
qiṣṣa
“A story, narrative, or account.”
7th–8th Century
Arabic
qaṣṣāṣ
“A professional storyteller or religious narrator.”
8th–9th Century
Arabic
quṣṣāṣ
“Storytellers who publicly recounted religious narratives, sometimes controversially.”
20th Century
English
qassas
“An English transliteration referring to a Muslim religious storyteller or preacher.”
Explore more surprising origins